High Sensitivity Optical Sensing Based on Modal Interferences in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

A one-dimensional photonic crystal supporting two modes is presented as an interferometric integrated optical sensor. The sensing is carried out by obtaining the phase difference between both modes propagated through the same nanometric structure and how it changes when a refractive index (RI) variation over the sensor takes place. Due to the slow-light phenomenon, high sensitivities values are reached near the photonic bandgap edge region. As a result, a high performance, compact, and single-channel optical sensing approach is theoretically calculated and demonstrated with a wide range of applications in the biosensing field.

Optofluidics for handling and analysis of single living cells

Optofluidics is a field with important applications in areas such as biotechnology, chemical synthesis and analytical chemistry. Optofluidic devices combine optical elements into microfluidic devices in ways that increase portability and sensitivity of analysis for diagnostic or screening purposes .In fact in these devices fluids give fine adaptability, mobility and accessibility to nanoscale photonic devices which otherwise could not be realized using conventional devices. This review describes several cases inwhich optical or microfluidic approaches are used to trap single cells in proximity of integrated optical sensor for being analysed.